Oscillating fan



P. DE CLAMECY.

OSCILLATING FAN.

APPLICATION FILED 001' s. 1919.

0,762. Patented Sept- 13, 1921.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIPPE n: CLAMECY, or BOSTON, nmssacnusmrs, ASSIGNOR TO B. r. STURTE- VANT comrm, or HYDE PARK, massacnusn'r'rs, A ooaronacrron or MASSA- CHUSETTS.

OSCILLATING FAN.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIPPE on CLAM- E01,- a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oscillating Fans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to oscillating fans and more particularly to fans which are oscillated alternately in opposite directions by the action of the air currents produced by the rotation of the fan blades upon one or more movable vanes or members carried b the oscillating element and operated to alternately obstruct the delivery of air at opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the fan.

The object of the present invention is to improve and simplify the construction and mode of operation of devices of the above indicated character in order to increase their efficiency and to provide a neat and durable structure at a reduced cost of manufacture.

To this end the invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is now considered to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention, Figure l is a view in front elevation of the improvedv fan; Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof; and Fi 3 is a detail sec tional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

As illustrated in the drawings an electric motor 5 carrying a fan wheel 6 at one end of its armature shaft 7 is supported with provision for vertical tilting adjustment upon a post 8 which is journaled for oscillatory movement in a stationary base 9. The motor 5 is inclosed within a cylindrical casing or housing 10 of extruded metal from the opposite sides of which V-shaped strips are struck out and bent downwardly to rovide a pair of supporting tongues 11 t at are adapted to embrace a headl2 on the 0st 8. The tongues 11 are pivotally mounte on a bolt 13 which extends transversely through the head 12 and, is provided with a thumb Specification of Letters Patent.

screw 14 by means of which the tongues are clamped to the head to hold. the motor and fan in the required angular adjustment with relation to the base 9.

The base 9 is provided with an upright hollow neck portion or pedestal 15 through which the post 8 extends vertically and is supported with provision for oscillation. To this end a collar 16, which is rigidly secured on the post 8, beneath the head 12, rests upon ball bearings 17 which are received in an annular ball race 18 at the upper end of the pedestal 15, the balls sustaining the weig t of the motor and fan. To permit the post to oscillate as freely as possible, trio-- tional resistance to the turning thereof is further reduced by recessing the interior oi the pedestal 15 as shown at 19, and providmg aball bearing 20 for the bottom of the post 8. The lower end of the post 8 extends beyond the bearing 21 into a central recess 22 in the base 9 and is screw threaded to receive a nut 23 which holds a Washer in engagement with the ball bearing 21 for the purpose of preventing upward longitudinal displacement of the post. The interior recess or chamber 19 in the pedestal 15 provides a convenient, passage for the wires leading to the motor.

The fan wheel 6 comprises six fan blades which are rigidly secured to a hub 25 which is fixed to the armature shaft 7. In the construction shown, in order to reduce the noise of the fan to a minimum and to increase the efficiency of the fan to the maximum, the fan blades are of a reverse curve, stream line cross sectional shape having a rounded advancing or cutting edge and gradually tapering therefrom to a thin rear edge where the air leaves the blade. It has been found that this reversely curved, stream line shape of fan blade results in a remarkably silent fan having a substantially higher efiiciency than heretofore obtained with fans of this general type. The fan wheel is inclosed and protected from contact with exterior objects by the usual cage or guard frame 26 which is solidly attached to the motor casing.

The means for obstructing the delivery of air from the fan wheel, first at one side and then at the other side of its axis of rotation, and thereby causing the fan to oscillate al.- ternately in opposite directions as it rotates, comprises a rectangular vane or slide Patented Sept. 13, 1921. Application filed October 6, 1919. Serial No. 328,686.

A wheel.

27 which is movable in a rectilinear path to and fro in front of the fanblades and is constantly disposed flatwise to the air blast. In the construction shown, the vane 27 is mounted to slide in ways that are formed in channel members 28 which extend horizontally across the guard frame 26 and are firmly secured thereto at their opposite ends. Preferably the channel members are mounted on the front of the frame, as shown in the drawings, although if desired they may be secured to the back of the front members of the frame so that all the moving parts shall be within the frame. The side wires 261 of the frame 26 are extended forwardly into the path of the vane 27 so as to form abutments 262 to limit the sliding movement of the vane. In its normal or operative position, z. 6., when the vane is at rest at the limit of its sliding movement in either direction, it is located entirely at one side or the other of the axis of rotation of the fan The sliding vane 27 is shifted from one a rocker arm 29, the upper end of which extends through a horizontally elongated eye or loop 30 projecting from the rear side of the vane. The rocker arm 29 consists of an upwardly bent portion at the forward end of a rock shaft 31 which turns in a bearing sleeve 32 at the bottom of the guard frame 26 and is alternately rocked in-opposite directions. To this end the rear extremity of the rock shaft 31 is also bent upwardly to provide a crank arm 33 which is adapted to be actuated by a lever 34, the crank arm extending through an eye 35 at the lower end of said lever. The operating lever 34 is 'fulcrumed at 36 upon the rear of the guard frame 26 and is provided at its upper end with a counter-balance weight 37. When the vane 27 isin normal or operative position the lever 34 is tilted out of a vertical plane and the weight 37, being at one side of the fulcrum 36, tends to hold the vane stationary. The lever 34 is arranged to be operated by one or the other of a pair of stops 38 and 39 on the stationary pedestal 15 as the fan approaches the limit of its oscillatory movement in either direction."

The oscillation of the fan first brings the upper portion of the lever 34 against one of the stops, and then rocks the lever about its fulcrum, swinging the rocker arm 29 in a direction to move the sliding vane 27 toward the opposite side of the front of the fan. As the operating lever 34 passes beyond a vertical plane, the counter-balance weight 37 passes over the fulcrum 36 and completes quickly the shifting movement of the vane, which thereafter acts to retard and preferably to reverse the oscillatory movement of the fan before the operating lever is again brought into contact with the stop, thus avoiding any sudden shock or jar to the fan at the limit of its oscillation in each direction. By means of the elongated eyes 30 on the vane 27 and 35 on the lever 34 and the fact that the normal position of the upper end of the rocker arm-29 is at the side .of the eye farthest remcved from the axis of the fan, as shown in Fig. l, a certain amount of lost motion is permitted to occur between the lever and the vane before the vane will be moved. Consequently it will be seen that during the first portion of the movement. of the lever the vane remains stationary, and until the weight 37 has passed over center far enough to fall by gravity the vane 27 is still sufficiently near its original position to continue to exert a substantial turning force which will insure the reversal of oscillation of the fan, since it will be impossible for the lever 34, the rocker arm 29 and the vane 27 to come to rest in central or neutral position and thus check the oscillation of the fan. In order to avoid the shock and the noise when the end of the vane 27 strikes one of the abutments 262 at the end of its sliding movement, a buffer 263 of rubber or other suitable material is provided, preferably on the abutment.

The stop ins 38 and 39 project radially from the pe estal 15 into the path of movement of the upper portion of the o crating lever 34, and in order to permit tie stops to be'adjusted toward and from each other to vary the range of oscillatory movement of the fan each stop is adjustably clamped in operative osition in a slot 40 in the pedestal 15. 0 this end the stops 38 and 39 each consist of a pin or knob 41 which is internally screw threaded, as shown in Fig. 3, to receive the externally threaded end of a stud 42. The stud 42 projects outwardly through the slot 40 and is provided with a head 43 which bears against the interior face of the pedestal 15, and an intermediate shank portion 44 which is flattened on opposite sides to engage the sides of the slot 40 to prevent the turning therein of the stud. When tightened the pin or knob 41 serves as a clamping nut to secure the stop in its adjusted position in the slot 40.

Assuming that the various parts of the device occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1, with the vane 27 located at the left of the axis of rotation of the fan wheel, the action of the air current will effect the oscillation of the fan in a counter clockwise direction, viewing the fan from above. As the fan approaches the limit of its oscillatory movement in a counter clockwise direction, the operating lever 34 is brought into cor'iperative engagement with the stop 39 whereby the rocker arm 29 is actuated to shift the vane 27 to the right side of the front of the fan, whereupon the direction of oscillation of the fan will be reversed. After the vane has been shifted to the right, the fan oscillates in clockwise direction until the operating lever 34 is again actuated, but in the opposite direction, by engagement with the stop 38, to carry the weight 37 over the fulcrum of the lever, when the vane 27 is shifted back to the left side of the front of the fan.

Inasmuch as the vane is alternately shifted from one side to the other of the front of the fan and is at all times disposed with its longitudinal edges horizontal and its front face in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the fan blades, an effective advertising display may be obtained by providing a suitable legend upon the front face of the vane. It will be seen that any letters or words which may be placed upon the vane for display purposes will be maintained in upright position so that they may be read with equal facility in whatever part of its path of movement the vane may be located.

While it is preferred to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts herein shown, it will be understood that such construction and arrangement is not essential except so far as specified in the claims and may be changed or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is:

1. .An oscillating fan having, in combination, a motor, a fan wheel, a support upon which the motor and fan wheel are arranged to oscillate, a vane mounted for rectilinear sliding movement upon the oscillatory element of the fan and normally arranged to obstruct the delivery of air from the fan wheel at one side only of its axis of rotation to effect the oscillation of the fan wheel, and means controlled by the 0scillatory movements of the fan for sliding the vane so as to reverse the direction of 0s cillation of the fan.

2. The combination with an oscillating fan having a guard frame for protecting the fan from contact with exterior objects and provided with a horizontally disposed guide way, of a vane mounted to slide in the guide way and normally located in front of the fan at one side of its axis of rotation to effect the oscillation of the fan, and means for shifting the vane to the opposite side of the front of the fan to reverse the direction of oscillation of the fan.

3. The combination with an oscillating fan having a stationary supporting base, of means adapted to move into position to obstruct the delivery of air from the fan alternately at opposite sides of its axis of rotation and thereby effect the oscillation of the fan alternately in opposite directions, and auxiliary devices for actuating said means, said devices beingpreviously energized by the oscillatory movement of the an. i

4. The combination with an oscillating fan having a stationary supporting base, of means adapted to move into position to obstruct the delivery of air from the fan alternately at opposite sides of its axis of rotation and thereby effect the oscillation of the fan alternately in opposite directions, a weight adapted by its descending movement to impart movement to said means, and devices for causing the oscillatory movement of the fan to lift the weight.

5. The combination with an oscillating fan having a stationary supporting base, of a vane adapted to alternately move into po' sition to obstruct the delivery of air from the fan at opposite sides of its axis of retation and thereby effect the oscillation of the fan alternately in opposite directions, and means for actuating the vane comprising a pivoted lever having a weighted upstanding arm, connections between the lever and the vane, and a plurality of stop memhere on the base projecting into the path of movement of the upstanding arm of the lever as it oscillates with the fan and arranged to initiate the rocking movement of the lever as the fan approaches its limit of oscillation in opposite directions.

6. The combination with an oscillating fan having a stationary supporting base, of means adapted to move into position to obstruct the delivery air from the fan alternately at opposite sides of its axis of rotation and thereby effect the oscillation of the fan alternately in opposite directions,

and devices for moving said means, said devices being actuated initially by the oscillatory movement of the fan and while said means remains stationary and there after operating independently of the oscillatory movement.

7. The combination with an oscillating fan havin a stationary supporting base, of means adapted to move into position to obstruct the delivery of air from the fan alternately at opposite sides of its axis of rotation and thereby effect the oscillation of the fan alternately in opposite directions, and mechanism for actuating said means comprising a lever having a lost motion connection with the fan, stops on the stationary base for initiating the movement of the lever without actuating said means, and devices for completing the movement of the lever and actuation of said means independently of the oscillatory movement of the fan,

8. The combination with an oscillating fan having a stationary supporting base, of a sliding vane adapted to alternately move into position to obstruct the delivery of air from the fan at opposite sides of its axis of rotation and thereby effect the oscillation of the fan alternately in opposite directions, a rocking member mounted at one end on the oscillatory elementof the fan and operatively connected at the other with said vane to effect its sliding movement, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on said oscillatory element and normally oblique to the vertical plane and operatively connected at its lower end with said rocking member, a pair of stops on said base projecting into the path of movement of the upper end of said lever as it oscillates with the fan and arranged to swing the lever beyond a vertical plane as the fan approaches its limit of, oscillation in opposite directions whereby starting the shifting move ment of the vane, and a weight at the upper end of said lever for completing said shifting movement.

9. The combination with an oscillating fan having a stationary supporting base of an obstructing vane mounted on the oscillatory element of the fan for sliding movement in front of the fan blades and normally located at one side or the other of a neutral position to efiect the oscillation of the fan, and means for alternately shifting the position of the vane to reverse the direction of oscillation of the fan comprising a rocking member mounted on said oscillating element and operatively connected with the vane by means permitting lost motion between the vane and said member to delay the movement of the vane, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on said oscillating element and operatively connected at its lower end with said rocking member said lever being normally tilted out of a vertical plane, means on said base for swinging said lever beyond a vertical plane to shift the vane part way to neutral position, and a weight at the upper end of said lever to continue the shifting movement of the vane and carry it beyond neutral position.

PHILIPPE on CLAMECY. 

